TCC Press Review 6 Oct 2020

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

It would cause a backlash

All segments of society are angry with the intervention in the elections. Ersin Tatar’s campaign team which includes several of the Turkish government’s top press advisers was made headlines by the daily Özgür Gündem. Photos showing presidential candidate Ersin Tatar and Economy Minister Hasan Taçoy meeting with the team from Ankara hurt the Turkish Cypriot community’s will once again.

  • Shocking statement from the Prime Minister “Manipulation of foreign intelligence agencies” – Ersin Tatar’s response to the report which emerged in Özgür Gündem. The Press Workers Union (Basın-Sen) accused Tatar of targeting journalists and threatening the public’s freedom to access news. The Turkish Cypriot Journalists’ Association (KTGB) described the statement as a blow dealt to the freedom of the press through the state’s own hands.

Kıbrıs

We are spending a fortune on imported medicine

In the past 10 years and five months, we have imported ₺981,164.007 (€108m) worth of medicine from 45 different countries. According to data obtained from the Department of Commerce, there is a steady increase in the cost of medicine annually.

  • “Foreign intelligence services manipulating the technical work carried out with Turkey” – National Unity Party (UBP) presidential candidate and Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said: “It has been identified that some foreign intelligence services are trying hard to manipulate the election results to suit their interests.”

Havadis

Immense paranoia

National Unity Party (UBP) presidential candidate and Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, in an attempt to conceal interference by Turkey in the elections revealed by a daily, claimed that foreign intelligence agents were roaming about the north. Tatar also claimed that some foreign intelligence services were trying hard to manipulate the election results to suit their interests.

  • We are only at the beginning of our struggle – Experts from the EU financed “Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking” project spoke to Havadis. The experts said in addition to the women working in the nightclubs and entertainment sector, people working in agriculture and working as housemaids were also victims of human trafficking. The project provides pro bono legal assistance to the victims.
  • 13 irregular Syrian migrants returned to Turkey.
  • 3rd, 4th and 5th grades returned to schools under strict measures.

Diyalog

Prices skyrocket

Politicians are occupied with the elections, citizens with making ends meet. The rising prices at supermarkets have become the public’s main concern, particularly at a time when thousands of people have become unemployed or have experienced a drop in income. People speaking to Diyalog said, “Our concern is not the elections but to make ends meet.” They complained that prices were constantly going up. The prices of some goods have doubled over the past few months.

Avrupa

Our writers blacklisted in Turkey

A list had been sent to the ports of entry in Turkey. One of our columnists, Özay Hüseyin Kurtdere was arrested at Izmir Airport and charged with the crime of “carrying out activities against Turkey.” He was deported back to London the next day after being detained in police custody for a night. Kurtdere and his family went to Izmir to attend a funeral. His family members were allowed to enter Turkey but he was not. When asked for why he was denied entry, the police told him that there is a court order against him prohibiting his entry into the country.

Main News

Yavuz drillship returns to Mersin for maintenance & resupplying

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis , Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy

OVERVIEW

The Turkish drillship Yavuz has returned to the Taşucu Port in Mersin for routine maintenance and re-supply, the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said on Monday.

The Energy Ministry, announcing the development on Twitter, said the Yavuz has completed its operations on the Selçuklu-1 well, which had started on April 24.

“Following preparatory work at the port, the Yavuz will continue drilling operations in a new location,” the Ministry tweeted.


NATO Chief holds meetings in Ankara

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis , Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy, External Security, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

Amid continued efforts to resolve differences between Turkey and Greece over the Eastern Mediterranean NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held meetings with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Monday.

Holding a joint press conference with Çavuşoğlu following their meeting, The Secretary-General said the NATO allies have decided to ramp up their support for Turkey.

“Ankara’s security was synonymous with that of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said.

For his part, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Ankara would continue to protect Turkey’s and the Turkish Cypriots’ rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“We have taken the necessary steps to protect our national interests and to protect the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean. NATO has launched an initiative in the meantime but we do not want any accidents between the allies,” Çavuşoğlu said.

He also expressed gratitude to NATO for its mediating role.

“Even though Greece had a negative attitude in beginning, it is now attending talks, and we appreciate this,” Çavuşoğlu noted.

Following the joint press conference, Stoltenberg was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday.

Writing on Twitter after the meeting, Stoltenberg said he has had a “good meeting with the President in Ankara on a range of security issues including the military de-confliction mechanism developed for the Eastern Mediterranean.

He said he hoped the de-confliction mechanism recently reached between Ankara and Athens at NATO-hosted meetings could create space for diplomatic efforts.


TC & GC teachers issue joint message for World Teachers’ Day

Yenidüzen
Internal Security

OVERVIEW

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot education unions KTOEÖS (Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers’ Union), POED, KTÖS (Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union) , OLTEK and DAÜSEN (Eastern Mediterranean University Academics’ Union) issued a joint statement on the World Teachers’ Day celebrated October 5, in which they stress the difficulties faced by the teachers’ across the divide due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic has revealed the chronic problem of inadequate financing of the education systems as well as lack of state support for the teachers,” the joint statement read and demanded from the authorities that they need to invest in high-quality public education.

“The teachers, who continue with their work in a divided island, will continue to teach the future generations the much-needed empathy, tolerance and peace culture in order so that the island can be unified on the federal basis and so that peace can prevail,” the statement concluded.


Those fleeing war are being arrested


Yenidüzen, Havadis
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

There are 80 undocumented migrants registered with the Refugee Rights Association, 24 of them under the age of 18, the association’s project coordinator Hilmi Tekoğlu told Yenidüzen.

In an exclusive statement to the daily on Monday, Tekoğlu complained of the absence of a mechanism in the north to deal with illegal migrants or refugees fleeing war, persecution and conflict in neighbouring countries.

“Instead those who make it to our shores are being arrested, punished and imprisoned,” he said.

Tekoğlu explained that the majority of migrants currently in custody in the north were Syrian nationals.

“It’s not always possible for these people to acquire necessary travel documents when leaving their countries. Sometimes they lose their documents on the journey. So, it’s not always very easy to categorize those who arrive. Some are migrants while others are refugees. But travel documents are not how you can classify these people,” Tekoğlu stressed.

He added that human trafficking and smuggling was a crime in the north but to seek refuge as a result of war was not.

“These people are first arrested, punished, imprisoned only to be shipped back to their countries after serving their sentence. Ironically Turkish Cypriot authorities recognize and accept numerous international conventions which prohibit detainment, punishment and re-sending migrants to their countries. However, there is a lack of political will in implementing these,” Tekoğlu added.

He said the Refugee Rights Association had charted the needs of those undocumented that are currently living in the north.

“We are also working on developing and strengthening our capacity in dealing with those who have been subjected to gender-based violence, children’s rights and those who require legal counselling,” he said.

Tekoğlu also pointed out that the majority of migrants who were registered with the association were able to speak Turkish.

In another development, the Turkish Cypriot Security Forces (GKK) in line with the coast guard collaboration protocol agreement in place has returned the 13 undocumented Syrian migrants found eight miles north of Sadrazamköy (Livera) back to Turkey on Monday.

In a statement issued, the GKK has identified the boat with irregular migrants within the Turkish Cypriot territorial waters on October 4.

The boat’s captain after noticing the Turkish Cypriot coast guard had decided to return to Turkey but was caught after his boat was intercepted.

He and the 13 migrants had been placed under police custody.

Yenidüzen also reported that the Turkish Cypriot authorities have so far apprehended more than 300 irregular migrants since the beginning of 2020.

Meanwhile, project experts from the EU financed “Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking” said people working in agriculture or as housemaids were also classified as victims of human trafficking.

The experts said that women working in the nightclubs and entertainment sector were not the only victims of human trafficking.

In an interview with Havadis, project experts shared their research results.

“The mere existence of the crime of human trafficking proves that the modern-day slavery and similar exploitative intentions are still in place,” the experts stressed.

According to the project’s findings, human trafficking is extensively observed for sexual exploitation in the nightclubs but there is also widespread labour exploitation in the entertainment, agriculture, livestock breeding and service sectors in the north as well.

The project, which is being co-managed by the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association and the Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation, has established a hotline for those who are being forced into labour, for those who are being forced into prostitution and for those who might know any victim of human trafficking.


Kızılyürek: “Recognise the Dohni (Tochni) Massacre”


Yenidüzen
Human Rights

OVERVIEW

Akel MEP Niyazi Kızılyürek reacted to the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) Interior Minister Nicos Nouris’  inauguration of sports grounds in memory of Minas Antoniou, a missing Greek Cypriot person from the village.

In an open letter written to the Interior Minister, Kızılyürek reminded Nouris that 83 Turkish Cypriots had been killed in 1974 in the village and asked him to return to the village to erect a monument in memory of the slain Turkish Cypriots.

“Those who only remember half of the facts can only build half a country,” Kızılyürek stressed.

“We want a united country, not a half one,” he added.

Asking for all the massacres committed by both sides to be acknowledged, Kızılyürek said all missing persons, from both communities, should be honoured, and the war crimes carried out by the sides must be recognized.


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